I am only want to say this once.
A President who threatens the citizens of America is no longer the President.
ok. One more time.
A President who threatens America is not the President.
At first glance one would say that there are no connections between any of the topics in the subject line.
Before I tie anything together – and if it all sounds like you have heard this before I’ll apologize in advance – a few things.
A disclaimer. I enjoy sports. I enjoy competition and of course I enjoy winning. I also don’t mind when I lose when the game is honest and competitive. In general and specifically humanity is competitive and this basic concept goes back to Darwin’s Law.
With the state of the sports world I am struggling to enjoy sports. I didn’t mind watching millionaires play a game and become wealthy. Most players when they are good become millionaires and I believed it to be a cool and good thing in general. They were on television and had advertising contracts and as they became more skilled they were able to make more on the market. The revenue streams were from contracts with over-the-air networks and the money all seemed to be reasonable. Mostly.
Leverage. Somewhere this word came into play with sports. It started with college with divisions signing large contracts with ESPN which shifted the college game. This occurred in all areas for the money was not small potatoes. Games which were once traditional over-the-air now are only available on ESPN.
Profit. I believe companies have the right to profit for their services. It is as American as apple pie and ice cream. ESPN is exploiting America and using publicly funded sites – stadiums specifically – to generate billions of dollars off the very taxpayer whose dollars built the very stadiums from which they profit.
Stadiums. Soon Las Vegas will have a new football stadium and it will be at the cost of over two billion dollars. It may very well reach three billion. Taxpayers will fund bonds to assist a billionaire owner to build this stadium at which taxpayers will then pay to park, eat, and recreate at this very stadium. ESPN will then charge taxpayers to watch anything inside the stadium. Should profit be generated by something the public paid for – and will continue to pay for? Ever?
Layoffs. Recently laid off some of their staff. That is not the notable part. The part that was notable is who was laid off. It appears that any reporter or writer who wrote with insight and compassion regarding issues and topics was laid off. While the recent layoffs were jarring in the number it had actually begun years prior as they released talent that were both insightful and challenging to what it was that ESPN appeared to be becoming. It is not fair to say this but Stephen A Smith is a shadow of who is left. The best analogy is to say that there were trusted newsmen – sportsmen – and now there is this. Someone who has only opinions based on nothing but biases which as he speaks reveal the superficiality and vapidness of his being. There is no insight. And that is what ESPN has become. An empty package.
So here you might say that one should not look for insight or meaning with sports. And you know something…I agree.
But I wish for more. If the taxpayers of America are going to be paying for a product then it should be a quality product. It is not.
And what is scary is that ESPN leveraged itself with recent contracts to the NBA, NFL, and any other sport it wished to have. This means that as consumers cable and internet will rise. And not just a little bit. Billions of dollars just do not fall from the sky. They come from you. They come from me. The contracts which were signed are irresponsible and illegal.
I’d like to see 100,000 people turn off their cable every month for a year. Starting on the East Coast. Keep the internet but cut the cord. After 4 months the cable companies will begin scrambling. After 8 months defaults will begin. After 16 months there will be collapses in stock and prices. And after 24 months America can negotiate in good faith to no longer be exploited by big business.
You could say that you can’t follow your team. Watch your team.
You would be right. Let me tell you something…it is not your team anymore. See the uniforms they are wearing? Guess how much they are receiving for that? See the flashing signs? Take another guess. See “your” coach? Do you know how much he is making? Think you can go and meet him? Buy him coffee? Go ahead and try. I’ll put money on you getting arrested before you can just buy him coffee or a drink.
It doesn’t matter who your team is right now. They are not yours.
And before I stop here I’ll just say one more thing for today.
Education. Those billions belong to society. Should be invested in society. Not removed from it. Invested in it.
I don’t fault ESPN for using their leverage.
I just believe we should take it back.
An example of something that no longer exists. Something that is challenging, flawed, and beautiful all at the same time. Foretelling of events occurring today somehow and the shifting of society. Writing that appears to have disappeared?
http://grantland.com/features/a-mysterious-physicist-golf-club-dr-v/
What exactly is a leader?
Are they elected, born, or created? Or do come from something else?
My definition is a simple one.
A leader is someone who speaks for the mute.
A leader is someone who acts for the paralyzed.
A leader is someone who listens for the deaf.
A leader is someone who thinks for those who cannot.
Currently our leaders seek to remove and dismantle so much of what the country is about.
Remember that they are not leading but acting out in fear.
Fear that a Leader will indeed speak for all those who cannot.
Remember this.
This is indeed an amazing time we live in.
Regardless of what is occuring keep in mind there are amazing people who see and do good for others. Remember that.
Remember there is a smile out there which will bring sun to your eyes.
Remember that there are sounds which heal our souls.
In spite of it all there is more good than the negativity being generated right now.
Find it and embrace it.
Smile.
It is fairly amazing what is happening as of late. And I honestly would like to say that it is surprising on any level at this point. However, how can it be?
I go back a few years when learning communication skills and what it means to utilize argumentation. How it is indeed a skill and how it is based on a few things if one is to present a premise in a manner which is effective and accurate and what one wishes to be heard.
There were other things I learned as well. Something about assertions.
A false assertion which is repeated over and over again does not make something true. Should I repeat that?
In this time and day and age the certainty of the previous statement is at this time false.
It is why NASA this past week made a statement about not having child laborers on Mars.
It is why someone shot at a pizzeria because of statements repeated.
It is why Sandy Hook and 911 did not happen.
And it is again why the current president is sitting in office.
A few weeks ago I wrote about the loss of Civility. https://imagine-democracy.com/2017/06/02/218/
It should be noted what I did not say and I should have said very clearly. We as society have to rise and be above what is happening. Otherwise this will end very poorly for all.
There are in place ways to remove a sitting President. But the worst thing that one can do is sink to the level of this individual.
I find myself astounded by the level President Trump has sunk to in the past few days. I have been trying to write this for a period of time but every time I begin something else occurs.
Attacking our free press is an issue. Attacking the appearance of a human being is an issue. Promoting a visual representation of these is an issue…and then repeating it all again. And the largest issue? Does it even need to be said?
Repeating something until it becomes true. This is a fallacy of argumentation in which the argument cannot and does not become true. In the end what has been said is discredited and determined to have no merit so the argument is indeed false.
EVERYONE should take note of this.
This is a trying time in our Democracy and we have indeed elected the President of our times.
This is a time when people willingly follow and believe falsehoods because they fit in with their ideals/religion/beliefs. This is a time when there should be independent thought and actions but instead whenever this may occur…it is reeled back in and those speaking so or such…lambasted.
This is a time when a person will listen to their phone while driving and turn into a lake…because they were not looking.
President Trump is perhaps the biggest caricature of what society current is at this exact moment.
And you know something else? It is ok.
We will be ok.
I believe people will learn and the charlatans will fade and we will again have real knowledge and news which isn’t dismissed but appreciated and acknowledged.
I believe that people will see that the lies which are being told are only being done so because of one thing.
I believe that the Power that they seek and have sought will be fleeting.
I do believe in the positivity of People in general.
I am waiting for it.
I have been standing for it
Am I alone?
ironicTrumpIntelligence,#Billionairesclub,#IamWaiting,#mediaEthics,#makeamericagreat,#KathyGriffin
Imagine 